Apparatus for feeding closure caps



Dec. 9, 1930. J. A. JOHNSON APPARATUS FOR FEEDING CLOSURE CAPS Filed Feb. 9, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 8111. Joln flJaimsorp $5 7115 Elbtomm;

Dec. 9, 1930. J. A. JOHNSON APPARATUS FOR FEEDING CLOSURE CAPS Filed Feb. 9, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i fi I MN J7 Fl/1,, & n a NK .N 6 T I m R m W T Q o & ww m g Pam :HI 1

Patented Dec. 9, 1930 JOHN A. JOHNSON, OI WOODKLVEK, YORK mam-res ron. rnnnmo'cmsunn cars Application fled rebrwa, mo. semi no. aiaeae.

Thisinvention relates to apparatus for the feeding and deliverin of closure caps, particularly crown caps, rom a hopper or other depository to another apparatusfor assem- 5 bling liners in the closures, and it is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus that will deliver a reater number-of caps than has heretofore een possible.

Another object of the invention is to provide means in apparatus of this character to prevent the accumulating and jamming of the closure caps during the transferring of caps from the feeting means to the a paratus to which the caps are being transferred due to the incapability of said apparatus to receive such caps.

A further object. of the invention is to provide means to return the surplus caps created by an accumulation during the trans ferring of caps to the source of supply.

A still further object of the invention is to, provide a system of power transmitting means through which the ap aratus is .operated from a single drive sha t. Y

25 Further objects of the invention will hereinafter appear. x In thedrawings accompanyin and forming a part of this application, igure 1-is a plan view of the apparatus.

Figure 2 isa longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in shifted from one pulley to the other to render the direction of the arrow.

Figure 3 is an enlarged end elevation of the power transmission system of the apparatus shown in the lower left hand corner of Figure 1 to drive the second conveyor from the first conveyor.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken on line 44vof Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows. f

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view of a section of the first conveyor and showing the relation of the feeding means thereto.

Figure 6 is a plan view of a portion of the cap separating and guiding means; and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary, view in sideelevation of the cap feeding mechanism shown in Figuhl'i. 1

Like characters .desi'gnate like 7 parts throughout the drawings and specification.

In carrying out the invention there is provided a frame of spaced parallel side members 8 supported on a base B secured to standards 9 fastened or resting on asuitable foundation and arranged for connection with one end of a hopper 10 (fragmentarily shown in Figures 1 and 2) between the sides and at one end of the frame to carryreceptacle closure caps C, said ho per having an inclined bottom and arrange with a gate 11 for the outlet slidably mounted between a pair of spaced angle pieces 12 fixed to the sides of the hopper and having alined elongated slots 13 for the s'lidable enga ment .of' clamping screws 14 carried by ,t e gate to secure the gate in adjusted position relative to the bottom of the hopper to vary the area of the hop r outlet. The bottom of the hopper over angs a portion of an endless conveyor belt 15 inclined upward in a direction opposite to the bottom of the hopper and traveling in a direction away from the hopper to receive caps from the hopper.

The conve or belt 15 is carried and propelled by a rum 16 fixed below the bottom of the hopper to, a drive shaft 17 rotatably mounted m bearings in the sides 8 and carrKing a pair of pulleys 18, one fixed 'to the s aft and the other loose thereon for theengagement of abelt (not shown) to be driven from a source of power and adapted to be rotatable in bearing blocks 23 slidab' y and 'adjustably mounted in a slideway of a project-ion 24 extending above each frame side 8 by headed lead screws 25 having threaded engagementin said blocks and carried by plates 26 mounted to span the tops of the tical movement by collars 27 fixed to the screws abutting both sides of the plates. The

slideways, the screws being held against ver-" periphery of the wheel 21 is arranged with radial V-shaped recesses 28. Secured on one side of each recess is a stri 29 of flexible material, such as leather or rubber, of a length to form a space between the end thereof and the conveyor equal to the thickness of a cap to permit the passage of caps in a single planebut separate the caps that are delivered from the hopper in a jumbled mass and one superposed to the other, as shownin Figure 2, by

the rotation of the wheel. The wiper is operated from the drive shaft 17 by-a sprocket chain 30 passing around sprocket wheels fixed to the shafts 17 and 22.

tion of the conveyor comprising a pair of wheels 33, 34 with notched peripheries fixed on shafts 35, 36 rotatable on a vertical axis, said wheels being spaced apart a-distance to permit the passage between the wheels of a single cap. The shaft 35 is rotatably mounted in a bearing of a bracket 37 fixed to an ear projecting above one of the sides 8, and said shaft is adapted to carry a gear 38 to mesh with a gear 39 fixed to the shaft 36, which is rotatably mounted in a bearing of an arm 40 extending horizontally and obliquely from and carried by a bearing integral therewith engaging the shaft 35 between the .bearing of the bracket- 37 and the car 38.

The caps are separated and guided etween the wheels 33, 34 by the rotation thereof in a'direction opposite to the direction of travel of the conveyor. The wheels are driven from the shaft 17 by a belt 41 passing around av wheel or pulley 42 fixed on said shaft 17 and a pulley or wheel 43 fixed on a shaft 44 rotatable in a bracket 45 extending from the frame side 8 carrying the bracket 37 and a belt 46 passing around a pulley wheel 47 fixed on the shaft and a wheel 48 fixed above the gear 38 on the shaft 35 and guided to and from said wheel 48 by a pair of pulleys 49 rotatably carried by a bracket 50 extending from the frame side 8 supporting the bracket 45. The caps are forced between the rotating wheels 33, 34 by the movement ofthe conveyor 15 and the colliding of the caps against guide rails 51, 52 supported'by the ends of the separating mechanism toward the space between the wheels. The guiderail 51 is longer than the rail 52 due to the wheel 33. bein farther away from the separating mechamsm than the wheel 34.

The caps after passing between the wheels 33, 34, are in different positions, that is, taking a crown type of cap as an example, some of thecap's have the crown portion lowermost, restin on the conveyor, while others have the skirt portion, rest-ing on the. conveyor with the crown portion uppermost. It is desirable that all the caps be in one position, with the crown portion on the conveyor and the skirt portion extending upward to deliver the caps to an apparatus for assembling liners in the caps, such as cork disks or the like.

After the caps have passed between the wheels 33, 34 the conveyor delivers them to a chute 53 superposed partly relative to the section of the conveyor passing over the drum 32 and declining to a lower level section L of the upper stretch of the conveyor formed by the passing of the conveyor about a roller 54 rotatably supported in bearing blocks adjustably mounted below and rearward of the supports of the drum 32, in slideways 55 extending horizontally in the frame sides 8, said slideways opening into enlargements 56 of the frame sides for the dismantlingor replacement of the conveyor parts. To adjust the bearing blocks they are connected to screw rods 57 threaded in an end wall 58 of the frame and manipulated by a hand wheel 59 fixed-to the rods. The conveyor upon leaving the roller 54 is supported by a horizontally extending platform 60 mounted on and extending between the frame sides by angle brackets 61, constituting the lower level L of the upper stretch of the conveyor. To deliver the caps in the desired position the entrance end to the chute 53 is arranged tangential to the periphery of the drum 32 and has a U-shaped recess 62 in the bottom of the chute at the upper end thereof with the edges of the bottom of the chute at the entrance to the recess being bevelled to engage under the skirt portion of the caps having the skirt portion lowermost and direct said caps so they will travel along the recess and out of the recess by the crown portion of the caps engaging a bevelled edge at the U-portion of the recess, as at 63, onto the chute to slide down the same onto the upper stretch of the conveyor at the lower level L. The caps with the skirt portion lowermost are/ engaged by the bevelled entrance to the recess so that the skirt portion'will be below the sides of the recess whereby the caps will be directed through the recess onto the section of the con- "veyor riding about the drum 32 fromwhich they drop with the crown portion lowermost into a second chute 64 curved in a direction opposite to the direction of extension of the chute 53 and terminating over a portion of the lower conveyor'section L in alinement and in the rear of the lower end of the' chute 53. The chutes are mounted on the frame sides 8 by brackets having a V-shape upper portion to engage the under surface of both chutes and a horizontal extending slot 66 for the engagement of a bolt projecting from brackets 67 arranged with a vertical slot 68 for the engagement of a bolt projectin from the-frame sides 8 to have vertical ad ustment in slides 69 formed on the inner portion of the frame sides upon the loosening and tightening of the liolts to adjustthe chutes simultaneously either in a vertical or horizontal direction to accommodate different size ca s and variations in the arrangement of t e conveyor. 5

The caps that drop through the slot 62 engage the conveyor with the shirt portion lowermost and the chute 64 with the crown portion lowermost so that they are delivered to the lower conveyor level L withthe crown portion lowermost.

To advance the caps delivered from the chute 64 in the direction of travel of the lower conveyor level and out of the path of travel of the caps delivered by chute 53, a uide member 70 is supported from one 0 the frame sides 8 b an inwardly extending bracket 71 and a vancing from said bracket in an oblique direction below the chute53 in super osed relation to the lower conve or level an terminating near the lower en of said chute 53 and in spaced relation with a guide rail 72 extending from a side of the, conveyor at an angle and then parallel with ad said side to the end of said conveyor level to permit the passage of caps therebetweento form a single row of caps against said.

parallel ortion of the guide rail. -The caps delivere by the chute 53 are prevented from leaving the sides of the chute by rails 7 3,74 fixed to marginal portions of the" chute, rail 74 being continued parallel and in spaced relation to the side of the lower conve or level opposite to the side arran ed with t e 1 de rail 72 to form a guide or theoaps ehvered by the chute 53 and a row of caps par-.

allel and in spaced relation to the row of ca s delivered by the chute 64.

he conveyor after leaving the platform 60 passes about a roller 75 fixed on a shaft 76'rotatably mounted in bearings77 fixed to the frame sides 8 and thence to the drum 16. The caps being transferred by said conveyor upon reaching the section passing about the roller 75 are discharged from sa1d conveyor, dropping with the crown portion lowermost on a second conveyor belt 78 traveling in a direction transversely of and in a plane below the lower level of the conveyor 15, said conveyor passin around a flanged drum 7 9 fixed on a she 80 rotatable in a bracket 86 extending longitudinally from one of the frame sides 8 and driven from the drum shaft 76 through a pulley 81 fixed on shaft 80, the pulleys being connected by a belt 83 passing around a guide pulley 84 rotatably mounted on a shaft carried by the bracket 86 and under and around a' pulley 85 rotatable on a second shaft mounted in the bracket 86 and advancing in an upward direction over the pulley 82, thence to and under a pulley 87 rotatable on the shaft of the pulle 85 and under a pulley 88 rotatable I on the s aft of pulley 84' to the pulley 81.

The opposite end of the conveyor 78, not

shown, passes around a drum similar to drum 79 adjacent an apparatus to which the caps v are to be delivered. To prevent the caps coming from the conveyor 15 from dropping off the outer marginal portions of the second conveyor 78 a guide rail 89 extends above and over a platform 90 upon which the conveyor 78 rides carried bya bracket 91 fixed to the frame side and extending forward of the frame. One end of the guide rail lies adjacent the end of the extension of the rail 74 and is arranged beyond the conveyor 15 5 with an abutment 92 projecting into the path of travel of the caps on the conveyor 78 forcing the caps to the opposite marginal portion of said conveyor and if the caps are not being taken oif of the conveyor at the delivery end thereof and causing a jamming of caps, the caps at said abutment are forced by the advancin rear caps onto a third conveyor 93 extending parallelly of the first conveyor 15 in an upwardly inclined plane,-

said conveyor passing around a flanged drum 94-rotatab e on a stud fixed in an extension of the bracket 91 below the second conveyor 78 and adjacent the inner marginal portionthereof. Guide rails 95 extend along and above the marginal portions of the conveyor 93, said railsv being mounted on and extending laterally from'the adjacent frame side 8. The conveyor belt passes over a supporting drum 96 rotatably carried by the, bracket 50 for the pulleys 49 and around a flanged drum 97 returning to the drum 94, said drum 97 being fixed on the shaft 44 and rotated by the rotating of-the pulley 43 and in the same plane as the drum 96 causing the conveyor to travel in a horizontal plane. An abutment 97 extends transversely of the conveyor belt 93 and comprises an extension of one of the sides of a chute, the other side of which is shown at 98, inclining from said horizontal the incline section of the conveyor 15 in the rear of the separating mechanism to deliver the caps from the conveyor 93 to the cone veyor-15.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

1. In closure cap feeding apparatus, an endless conveyor to transfer caps from a source of supply, cap separatin and guiding. means interposed in' the line 0 {travel ofthe rtion of the conveyor to abovesaidshaft 76 and a pulley 82 fixed on the conveyor comprising a pair of spaced'wheels I53 superposed to the conveyor and rotatable simultaneously in the plane of and in a direction toward each otherand Opposite to the direction of travel of the conveyor, and a said means, each chute to deliver di erently positioned caps to a further advanced pore tion of the conveyor in a predetermined position, a second conveyor to receive the sorted caps from the first conveyor, a guide rail extending above the outer marginal portion m of the second conveyor and arranged with an abutment projecting laterally therefrom into the path of travel of the caps on said-conveyor, and a third conveyor extending parallelly of the first conveyor and below the sec- 25 ond conveyor in line with the rail abutment to relieve said second. conveyor of an accu mulation of caps and return such caps to the first conveyor in the rear of the cap separating means.

3. In closure cap feeding apparatus, as claimed in claim 2, a guide rail extending above the outer marginal portion of the second conveyor and arranged with an abutment projecting laterally therefrom into the 5. Crown cap feeding apparatus, as claimed in claim 4, wherein the chutes are mounted to have simultaneous ad'ustment in a longitudinal and vertical directionrelative to the conve or to accommodate the apparatus for difl erent size caps.

6. In closure cap feeding apparatus, an endless conveyor to receive and transfer caps from a source of supply, wiper mechanism arranged above the conveyor to distribute the caps in a single plane on said conveyor comprising a rotatable wheel having vanes of flexible material fixed to and extending longitudinally of and radially from the. wheel, means interposed in the line of travel of the conveyor beyond the wiper mechanism to separate and guide the caps in a single row, and means to sort and deliver the caps in a predetermined position from said cap sepapath of travel of the caps on said conveyor and operative to eject the caps fed by the conveyor laterally therefrom when there is an. accumulation on the conveyor forward of the abutment.

4. In crown cap feeding apparatus, an endless conveyor to receive and transfer caps from a source. of supply, cap separating and guiding means interposed in the line of travel of the conveyor, a chute mounted to connect one section of the conveyor adjacent the separatingmeans with another section of the conveyor and arranged with uiding means-to receive anddirect caps wit the crown por-w tion uppermost from the first section'to the second section of the conveyor, and a second chute arranged below the first chute to. re-

- ceive caps from said guiding means and deliver the caps m an advanced section of the conveyor with the crown portion thereof i lowermost, said chute guiding means comprising a recess in the bottom of one end of the chute arrangedat the entrance thereto with bevelled edges to engage below the skirt ofthe caps having the crown portion lowermost anddirect said ca s along thefirst chute to. deliver-them in-js'u tionof thesgonve I r and. said bevelled edges position onto a pore engagingabovt tg' skirt of the caps having the crown portion u permost whereby said caps will drop onto't e second chute.

rating means to an advanced section of the conveyor. 7

7. Closure cap feeding apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the wiper mecha nism is rotated in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the conveyor, and the conveyor adjacent the wiper mechanism rides over and is supported by a platform inclining towards said mechanism.

'8. Closure cap feeding mechanism as claimed in' claim 6, wherein the wheel of the wiper mechanism is arranged with V recesses extending longitudinally of and circumferentially disposed about the same and to a" wall of which recesses the vanes are secured, and the wheel is mounted'to have adjustment in a vertical direction toward and away from the conveyor.

9. In closure cap feeding apparatus, an endless' conveyor arranged with the upper stretch to travel in different levels, cap separating and guiding means interposed in the upper conveyor level, a pair of chutes extending in opposite directions from said upperconveyor level beyond the separating means to the lower conveyor level, one chute terminating in the rear of the'other on the longitudinal axis of thelower conveyor level, and a guide member superposed to said lower conveyor level and extending obliquely of the conveyor from the lower end of the rearwardl terminating chute to a position in space relation to the lower end of the other chute to direct the caps delivered by the former chute in a row parallel to a row of caps delivered by the latter chute.

10. Closure cap feeding apparatus, as claimed in claim 9, wherein the-cute side wall ;of the forwardl terminating chute is extended forwardly-o thechute and parallelrail superposed to and extending-longitudinally ofthe-opposite marginal portion of 7 said lower conveyor level and extending from theend of the oblique guide member to the end of said lower conveyor level to maintain the caps delivered by the rearwardly terminating chute in parallel relation to the caps delivered by the forwardly terminating chute.

11. In' closure cap feeding apparatus, an endless conveyor arranged with' wiper mechanism'rotatably mounted above a section of the conveyor to distribute the caps in a single plane on the conveyor, cap separating and guidin means superposed to the conveyor beyon the wiper mechanism to forward the caps in a single row, means to deliver the caps in a predetermined position from'said cap separating means to an advanced section of the conveyor in a double row, a second conveyor to receive the caps from the first conveyor, guide rails extending above the marginal portions of the sec- 2 0nd conveyor, one rail beingarranged with an abutment projecting into the path of travel of the caps on said conveyor, and the other rail having a cut out portion opposite the abutment, a third conveyor extending parallelly of the first conveyor comprising Y an endless belt inclining upward and extended from below the inner marginal portion of the second conveyor in alinement with the rail abutment and cut out to a horizontal so section above the first conveyor, and a chute extending from said horizontal section to a position above a section of the first conveyor in the rear of the wiper mechanism arranged with an abutment intersecting the path of 3 travel of caps on the third conveyor to guide the caps to said chute and delivery thereof to the first conveyor.

12. In closure cap feeding apparatus, as claimed in claim 6, a pair of guide rails 4 mounted in superposed relation to the conveyor and converging from the wiper mechanism toward the cap separating and guiding means forming a channel to guide and present a cap to said separating and guiding means. I

13. Closure cap feeding apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cap guiding and separating means comprises a pair of spaced wheels arranged with notches in the so periphery and superposed relative to aportion of the conveyor traveling in a horizontal plane, said wheels being rotatable in the plane of and ina direction toward each other and opposite to the direction of travel of the conveyor, and guide rails extending from the opposite marginal portion of the conveyor and converging toward the space between the wheels. Signed at the city of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York this 7th day of February, 1929.

JOHN A. JOHNSON. 

